Work-holding mechanism



mmmsfs M. L. JEFFRY. WoRK HoLmNe Mecmmsm. FILED Dsc.' 29. i919.

2' swears-SHEET l Jam 2 1923.

V/ W e i M. www@ Y@ i T Patented dan. 2, it

AELE

Application filed December 29, 1919.

' ventions.

rlhe present invention, relating, as indicated, to work-holdingmechanism, is particularly directed to an improved means ior holding`andL lining in position such small articles as steering rod connections'tor motor vehicles, in which holes have to be drilled through the endsor knuckles of the rods. In such cases it is essential that the holes bedrilled exactly centrally in the ends, and jigs or templates are usuallyprovided .tor this purpose. 'lhe present mechanism is adapted, however,to accomplish this same purpose accurately and conveniently, and is alsoconstructed to permit the use ot a number of sets of work-engagingmembers or jaws to adapt the mechanism to various work and to allow itto hold diferent articles. To the accomplishment oi' the foregoing andrelated ends, said invention, then, consists of the means hereinafterfully described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

The annexed drawing and the following description set 'lorth in detailcertain mechanism embodying the invention, such disclosed meansconstituting, however, but one ot various mechanical ttorms in which theprinciple ot the invention may be used.

ln said annexed drawings Fig. l is a plan view oimy improved mechanism;Fig. 2 is a longitudinal horirental section on the line ,Q -2, in Fig.3; Fig. 3 is a central transverse vertical section; and Fig'. l is asection on the line #4, in Fig. 3.

rllhe mechanism includes a base member l which is adapted to be suitablyattached to the base or work table of the machine on which the presentmechanism is to be used, such for example as a drill press. lviounted inthe upper portion 2 of the base is an actuating member 3 provided with ahand wheel a and having oppositely torined threaded portions 5 and t3..Engaged with Serial No. 343,156.

these two threaded portions are work-engaging members or jaws 7 and 8,respectively, which are suitably mounted in guideways formedtransversely of the base ment ber and are adapted to be actuatedoutwardly or away from eachother by the oper-v ation oi the actuatingmember 3 through the handv wheel l. 'lhe upper portion of the base 2 isprovided with an extending llange 9, in which is set a drill guide 10,which is held in position against` movement or rotation by means ot arod ll, and bolt l2. The two jaw members 7 and 8 are constructed, asshown in Fig. 2, to grip a member such as the end 13 of a steeringknuckle connection for the steering mechanism of an automobile. Such anarticle must be drilled with a vertical hole through the end 13, and thejaws which are shown in the present iigures are designed to receive suchan article andto grip the cylindrical end 13 thereoiE and hold the samesecurely during the drilling operation.

ihe entiremechanism is mounted below the movable drill ot a drill pressin such a position that the drill when brought downward will passthrough the opening lll in the guide l0. rlhe work-engaging members 7and 8 and the actuating member 8 are so constructed and assembled thatthe workengaging jaws will grip the article 13 and clamp the sameagainst movement in a posi tion which is directly below and aligned withthe opening 1st in the guide lO. The article 123 which is to be drilledis thus brought into exact aligmnent with the de scending drill, sinceall parts ot 'the mechanism have been constructed to grip this member ata predetermined position, which is directly in line with the movei'nentof the drill. ln operation, assuming' that the jaws are initially spacedor opened, the articleto be drilled is inserted and the hand wheelturned to clamp the jaws against the article, this movement alsoautomatically centering the article beneath the drill guide l0. 'E hethreads on the actuating shaft are coarse and only a slight turning oi'the handwheel is needed to bring the jaws into action. rEhe drill isthen lowered and operated and the jaws are next returned to release thearticle.

One very important advantage ot the present improvement is that it isadapted to receive various sized and shaped jaws to hold a number otdifferent articles, and that so long as tlie jaws are duplicates theactuation or" the shaft 3 serves to exactly center the work beneath thedrill guide in position to be operated upon.

Other modes of applying the principle ot'V my invention -inay beemployed instead oli the one explained, change being inade as regardstlie mechanism herein' disclosed,

provided tlie nieans stated by rany of the fol-y lowing claiins or theequivalent of such stated ineens be employed.

l therefore particularly pointout and distinctly claiin asniyinventioiil. ln adeviceot the character described7 a baseplate, avertically. supported plate base plate, an aperture formed in said veX-`tension flange to provide a drill guide seat, an interchangeable drill`guide rotatably mounted in said seat, and a pair lof interlocking studsmounted upon said drill guide and flange respectivelyto permit of tlierotation and unlocking of said 'drill guide.v

2. ln .adevice of .the character described, a base plate having avertical .section ifieose it'oriiied integrally therewith, an extensionllange formed integralv with saidv vertical portion and ovei'liangingthe central portion ofthe base plate, a longitudinal key-way loriiied onone side ofsaidvertical section,

an extension lug' fornied onone side ol said lugs slidably ei'igaglngsaid leyway, reinov-v able jaws keyedin registering position to said.worlvengaging `nienibers, a single actuating ineinber engaging .each ofsaidwork engaging nieinbers and serving to simultaf iieously InoveLtlieni toward or away'. roni each other, an yextension flange. integralwith the verticallysupported plate Vand overhangingthe central portionof the base plate, an extension lug` integral with the verticallysupaorting vplate and oX/erlianging the central portion of the baseplate, .and drillreceiving apertures in said extension flange andproijecting lug respectively, in vertical aligninent upon opposite sidesot. saidlreyway.

Signed by ine, this 22 day of December,

MAX L. JEFFREY.

